by Philippe Rater
BRUSSELS, April 3 (AFP)
NATO, created 50 years ago in response to a perceived Soviet threat, has seen off Russian communism but is now engaged in a debate on its future spectacularly highlighted by the Kosovo crisis.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, formed on April 4, 1949, is celebrating its half-century with bombs rather than candles. Since March 24, the 19-member pact has been waging an air campaign against Yugoslavia.
The aim is the freedom and security of the ethnic Albanians who make up 90 percent of the population of the Serbian province of Kosovo, and whose autonomy has been denied them by Belgrade. For 40 years the Alliance was the bulwark against a perceived threat from Moscow.
West Germany joined in 1956 amid controversy over German rearmament.France also created a stir in 1966 when President Charles de Gaulle � suspicious of US influence � withdrew his country from NATO�s integrated military command although remaining in its political counsels.
NATO�s main strategic concept remains flexible response, a policy of nuclear deterrence with threat of first nuclear strike in a case of attack on any member.
After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and Soviet communism and the Warsaw Pact crumbled, a debate ensued on NATO�s raison d�etre. After a couple of years of uncertainty, the Alliance set off in a new direction, reforming its integrated military structure and seeking cooperation with the former adversary.
A programme called Partnership for Peace was introduced to develop military cooperation with former Warsaw Pact members.
Last month three such members, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, were admitted as full NATO members.
Russia reacted to this with annoyance and suspicion but accepted it as a fait accompli, enhancing its own cooperation with NATO via a 1997 Founding Act giving it a say in NATO affairs but without a right of veto. A permanent joint council was created.
Having hitherto confined itself to defending members� territory, NATO decided in 1992 to expand its mission with the first peacekeeping operation in its history, in Bosnia.
In February 1994 it opened fire for the first time in anger, shooting down four Serbian planes over Bosnia.
What was still lacking in the reformed NATO was a readjustment of the balance of power within the Alliance between the United States, hitherto the dominating partner, and the Europeans.
Under President Jacques Chirac France has moved closer to NATO again. But it still wants to see a reduction in US influence.
On March 24 NATO launch an armed attack for the first time on a sovereign state without a United Nations mandate.
Arguement has swayed back and forth both about the efficacy of a purely air strike strategy without ground troop intervention, and more profoundly, over whether NATO was entitled on humanitarian grounds to intervene militarily without a Security Council mandate.
Kosovo has overturned 50th anniversary celebration plans. �Ceremonies would have been indecent while floods of refugees grow in Macedonia and Albania,� a diplomat here said.
A planned summit will go ahead in Washington on April 23-25.
The meeting was intended to adopt a new strategic concept defining the Alliance�s mission in the next century. But Kosovo is likely to dominate the summit and sweep other topics off the agenda.
Russia was one of the invited, but again Kosovo interfered. Moscow, having consistently warned against use of force against Yugoslavia, broke off relations with NATO when the bombing began, and the future of NATO-Russian ties again looks bleak.
The 19 NATO members are: Belgium, Britain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain,Turkey, the United States.
ALMATY, March 31 (THE GLOBE)
March 1
French company Elf Aquitane and the Italian company Agip signed with Iran a contract for the total value USD 540 million for exploitation of the Dorud deposit.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia became the members (with limited rights) of the Shengen treaty. At present 10 countries are included in the Shengen zone, however Spain and the Benelux states (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) are still closed for the Baltic states. Citizens of the 3 pre-Baltic states may visit the other countries of the Shengen treaty only as tourists or on business tours.
March 2
Vatican took a decision to start the benefaction (canonization) process of the mother Teresa. This is an unprecedented event in the practice of the Catholic church. According to the existing rules this process may be begun not earlier than in 5 years after death, in case there is a number of miracles recognized by the church or martyrdom for the sake of Christ.
March 3
In Baku, Azerbaijan the international oil consortium North Apsheron Operating Company declared its liquidation in the near future. �Drilling woks have been completed, but we did not find the commercial volumes of oil in the third and the last deposits,� a high representative of the consortium said confidentially to AFP. It is not the first consortium, which cancels its operations in the Azerbaijan part of the Caspian sea.
March 4
The Chinese archeologists found out a secret grave of the first emperor of the Min dynasty, his wife and 46 concubines. The scientists had managed to determine the location of the underground grave near the stony mausoleum of the emperor Hun Vu in the East of China. This findings are already being compared with the army of terracotta warriors of the emperor Kin. No signs of robbery were observed in the grave, that confirms the thoroughness with which the funeral ceremony was prepared in 1398.
March 5
Boris Berezovsky, the CIS executing secretary was dismissed from his position by the decree of the Russian president Boris Yeltsin. This decision arose displeasure of some CIS leaders, who blamed Russia for the policy of soviet period, as Russia did not take into consideration the opinion of the rest CIS countries.
March 8
Joe Demagio, a famous American baseball player of New York Yankes club, died. He was 83 and died at his home in Florida, USA. In 1969 at baseball 100-years anniversary, the American baseball league gave him the title of the best American baseball player.
The Isa Sheikh died in Bahrain. He reigned the country from 1961. Suffering from the heart disease, Isa died in a half an hour after he received the US Minister of Defense William Coan. His death shocked the semi-million Bahrain population and the American Minister. Hamad bin Isa Halif was immediately announced the new ruler (emir) of the country, who declared, that he would follow his father�s policy.
March 9
The Australian government proposed a bill on the referendum regarding introduction of the republican system and abandonment of Elizabeth II reigning as the head of the state. According to the document, on November, 6, 1999 11.6 million of the Australian citizens will have to express their opinion on this matter.
In Chechnya unknown terrorists captured the general-mayor Gennady Shpigun, the plenipotentiary of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs to this republic. The Russian Minister of Internal Affairs Sergey Stepashin placed before the terrorists the ultimatum: the general Shpigun should be released within 3 days, otherwise �the rigid� measures will be taken.
March 10
The American company RJR Nabisco Holding Corporation which is at the second place in the world among the tobacco-producing companies, announced the sale of its international subsidiaries producing cigarettes, to the Japan Tobacco Inc. The value of the transaction was US$ 8 billion. Japan Tobacco Inc. purchased also the right for the RJR Nabisco trade marks, including the international ones, such as Camel, Winston and Salem.
March 11
In Ashgabad, Turkmenistan during the direct inter-Afghan negotiations, the representatives of The Taliban movement agreed to establish the Afghanistan coalition government jointly with the Northern alliance of the anti-Talibian forces headed by Akhmad Shah Masud. The negotiations will be continued in two weeks.
March 15
In Paris after three-weeks break-off the negotiations on the Kosovo problem were recommenced. The previous negotiations in Paris suburbs lasting for 2 weeks in February, resulted in nothing, or as it was announced officially, in agreement on the main political aspects of the peace plan of the Contact Group.
March 16
The CSFB banking group presented in London the investment fund, which actually is an alternative to the Russian Creditors� Club. The new fund is named Nikitsky Recovery (the Moscow Credit Swiss is situated in Nikitsky St.). It will be headed by Baiame Strategic Advisors company, the director of which will be Andrew Ipkendants, one of the CSFB specialists on the developing markets.
The French concern Renault took a decision to purchase 35% of stocks of the Japan company Nissan suffering from financial crisis. Nissan Motor and Renault are the six and the ninth car-producers in the world respectively (these companies produce about 3 million and 2 million cars annually). In the last year the turnover of Nissan Motor was US$ 48.7 billion, of Renault � US$ 35.1 billion.
March 19
In Vadikavkas, Northern Osetia, in the central market a major terrorist act was done. In the result of the blow of a home-made explosive device. 56 persons died, more than 100 were wounded. Neither of the known extremist organizations undertook responsibility for this terrorist act.
In Azerbaijan the Russian transport plane AN-124 �Ruslan� loaded with armors, was arrested. 6 dismantled planes MiG-21 were found on the board of the plane belonging to the Russian company �Polyot�. The chief advisor of the Azerbaijan president blamed Russia for illegal supply of the armors to Yugoslavia. However, the official Moscow abandoned these accusations and informed, that this cargo belongs to Kazakhstan and its destination was not Yugoslavia, but Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.
March 23
In Iraq the reforms of the governmental organizations were announced: the Council of the revolutionary Command is to be cancelled, instead of which it is planned to establish the State Council. Saddam Hussein will be the head of the latter, while his junior son Kusei, who from that moment is considered to be his official heir, will be his deputy. Baghdad took a decision to make the reforms to demonstrate to the world and to the domestic opposition his readiness to soften the regime.
March 24
NATO forces started bombing the military objects in the Yugoslavian territory. The first missiles launched from ships and submarines in Adriatic, struck the Pristiny suburbs of Kosovo. They were followed by the blows in Belgrade suburbs. Later the objects in Chernogoria were stricken.
The Verhovnaya Rada of Ukraine entitled the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare a bill �on denunciation of responsibilities of Ukraine as a nuclearless state�. More than two thirds of the deputies of the Verchovnya Rada voted for the decree, abruptly changing the foreign policy approaches of Ukraine.
In Great Britain seven lords-judges announced their verdict concerning the Chilean ex-dictator Augusta Pinochet. By the majority of votes (6 against 1) the lords sentenced, that Pinochet does not have the immunity against the court case for his crimes before the humanity, but he cannot be accused for his actions done before 1988, when Great Britain joined the International Convention forbidding tortures. Thus, the lords abandoned the major part of accusation against the dictator, though they did not cancelled the case.
March 26
The ex-Prime-minister of Italy Romano Prodi was appointed the chairman of the European Commission. Fifteen leaders of the European Union nominated him to this position unanimously. Romano Prodi will be inaugurated on April, 1, 1999 and will be at this position for 5 years.
March 27
More than 40 NATO planes took part in the third air-invasion to Yugoslavia. Belgrade, Pristina, Nish, Chachak and a number of other towns were bombed. This bombing seemed even more severe than the previous ones. According to ITAR-TASS, a pharmaceutical plant was destroyed in Belgrade suburbs.
March 31
The president of Byelorussia Alexander Lukashenko announced, that a return of nuclear weapon to the post-soviet republic �is not needed at this phase�. Beside that, he stated that possibility of returning of nuclear weapon to Byelorussia had not been discussed either by the representatives of the Russian political leaders or commanders of the Russian army.
by Luisetta Mudie
BEIJING, April 4 (AFP)
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji leaves for the United States Tuesday to try and repair ties battered by rising anti-China feeling in Washington fuelled by tensions over Kosovo and allegations that Beijing stole US nuclear secrets.
�He is walking into a snake pit,� David Shambaugh, politics and international affairs professor at George Washington University told foreign journalists in Beijing Friday.
�The US domestic political climate is so hostile right now... This is not just another trough that�s going to swing up again,� Shambaugh said, adding that the best Zhu�s trip would achieve would be to �find a floor for the rapidly downward spiralling� relationship.
Beijing was so concerned about the atmosphere that it nearly called off the trip, leaving official confirmation of the dates to the last minute.
�Now the relationship has changed. Last year our aim was to further the constructive and strategic partnership. Now the aim is to try to get back to that partnership,� said Guo Xiangang, a diplomatic analyst at the China Institute of International Studies under the foreign ministry.
When US President Bill Clinton visited last June, holding a live televised debate on human rights and democracy with President Jiang Zemin, the trip was hailed as the beginning of a new era in what have long been uneasy ties.
Since then, allegations have surfaced that China stole advanced nuclear warhead designs from a laboratory in Los Alamos, Beijing and Washington are on opposite sides in the Kosovo crisis and the US has tabled a motion censuring China�s human rights record at the United Nations in Geneva.
�It�s like McCarthyism in the United States (in the 1950s). It�s ridiculous,� Guo said of the sacking of Chinese-American scientist Lee Wen Ho from the Los Alamos National Laboratory amid allegations he passed nuclear secrets to Beijing.
China has angrily denied the allegations it stole hi-tech miniature nuclear warhead technology from the US in the 1980s and Chinese experts say it has developed its nuclear arsenal by itself.
�Clinton�s engagement policy is facing a tough test,� Guo said, citing a decision by Washington to ban the export of a hi-tech satellite to a Singapore company with connections to China�s armed forces, which showed the US president had �given in to pressure.�
Both US and Chinese officials have warned in the run-up to Zhu�s trip that continued attacks on Clinton�s China policy would further damage strained ties.
US Commerce Secretary William Daley last week blasted critics of Washington�s policy of engagement with Beijing as moving �backwards� on two decades of progress in economic and political relations.
�Now is not the time to give in to those who would turn China into our enemy in the next century,� he said.
Allegations that China stole US nuclear missile technology �are most troubling,� Daley said. �But I believe the American people do not want us to go back, they want us to stay engaged,� he said.
China�s vehement criticism of NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia because they bypassed the UN Security Council will give US critics of the engagement policy added ammunition in a country which has been glued to constant television coverage of US role in the Kosovo crisis.
And a US decision to back a motion censuring China�s human rights record has further soured last year�s smiles, despite the fact that the motion is unlikely to be carried.
�The US decision to promote an anti-China bill is another short-sighted act which can only hurt hard-won improvements in Sino-US relations,� blasted the People�s Daily in a recent editorial.
China was hoping for a framework agreement on its 13-year bid to enter the World Trade Organisation, a high-level return visit to be announced by the United States and for signs that Clinton would not succumb to pressure from Republicans in Congress, Guo said.
�These would be clear signs that the relationship is back on a normal track,� he said.
by Philippe Ries
TOKYO, April 4 (AFP)
France wants to see results this year in reform of the global financial system after the glacial progress since crises first erupted two years ago, according to financial sources.
French Treasury head Jean Lemierre delivered the ambitious message during visits to Beijing and Tokyo, where he met Friday with Japanese counterpart Vice Finance Minister Eisuke Sakakibara, according to a French source.
The initial sense of urgency was partly fuelled by the East Asian financial crisis that erupted in July 1997 and infected most emerging markets, from Russia to Brazil, sources said.
Then came September�s 3.5-billion-dollar rescue of Long Term Capital Management (LTCM) hedge fund, triggering a chorus of demands, and proposals, for reform.
LTCM was rescued by 14 major international financial institutions pressured by the Federal Reserve of New York. The banks� exposure to it was huge and there was a concern that a default could trigger a chain reaction.
But the differences between major industrialised nations have raised fears that the status-quo will be maintained, or that reforms in the key areas under discussion will be minimal.
The reform topic was on the table at Bonn meetings in February of the Group of Seven and in March of the Group of 33 � the G7 plus 26 other invited nations.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
© 1998 IPA House. All Rights Reserved.